Gun Legislation

Title: James BradyDate: February 28, 1994Source: WikipediaAbstract:
James Scott "Jim" Brady is a former Assistant to the President and
White House Press Secretary under U.S. President Ronald Reagan. After
nearly being killed and becoming permanently disabled as a result of an assassination attempt on Reagan in 1981, Brady became an ardent supporter of gun control.

Brady championed the Brady Bill, legally known as the "Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act" (Pub.L. 103-159, 107 Stat. 1536) which was ian Act of the United States Congress
that, for the first time, instituted federal background checks on
firearm purchasers in the United States. The Brady Bill was signed into
law by President Bill Clinton on November 30, 1993, and went into effect on February 28, 1994. The "Brady Bill" prohibits guns to any American who:

1. Has been convicted in any court of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year;2. Is a fugitive from justice;3. Is an unlawful user of or addicted to any controlled substance;4. Has been adjudicated as a mental defective or committed to a mental institution;5. Is an alien illegally or unlawfully in the United States;6. Has been discharged from the Armed Forces under dishonorable conditions;7. Having been a citizen of the United States, has renounced U.S. citizenship;8. Is subject to a court order that restrains the person from
harassing, stalking, or threatening an intimate partner or child of such
intimate partner, or;9. Has been convicted in any court of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence, or10. Has a record of being a felon (Wikipedia, 2011).

Abstract: Proposed imposition of firearms restrictions and weapons bans
likely would attract new members into the ranks of rightwing extremist
groups, as well as potentially spur some of them to begin planning and
training for violence against the government.

The high volume of
purchases an stockpiling of weapons and ammunition by rightwing
extremists in anticipation of restrictions and bans in some parts of the
country continue to be a primary concern to law enforcement (U.S. Department of Homeland Security, 2009).

The effort marked the first time since the
shooting, which killed six and wounded 13, including Giffords, that a large
group of Tucson survivors have banded together to weigh in on the politically
charged issue.

"Tucson is yet another extreme tragic
example of what is at stake each and every time a gun is placed into the wrong
hands," said Patricia Maisch, who witnessed the shooting and wrested a
magazine of ammunition from the accused shooter, Jared Loughner. Maisch urged
lawmakers to "fix the broken system" of background checks.

The lobbying effort, which included private
meetings with lawmakers and an appearance before a Senate subcommittee, was
organized by a coalition of mayors pushing for tighter gun control. The mayors -- led
by New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Boston Mayor
Thomas Menino -- and the Tucson survivors are lobbying for a bill that would
require states to supply more complete mental health and criminal records to a
federal database used for background checks on gun buyers.

The bill would also require federal
background checks for those seeking to buy guns from private dealers, who often
sell at gun shows. Now, purchases from private dealers are not subject to
background checks.

Loughner legally purchased a gun from a
licensed dealer even after college officials removed him from the school
because of mental health issues. Loughner is in custody amid efforts to restore
him to competency so he can stand trial.

"It's entirely possible Jared Loughner
might not have bought the Glock" if his admission of drug use to the army
or mental health problems were known, said New York Sen. Chuck Schumer, a Democrat, who led
the subcommittee hearing. "I don't want there to be any more
what-ifs."

Some mental health advocates worry the bill
would unfairly punish those seeking mental treatment or discourage people from
seeking treatment. A National Rifle
Association
spokeswoman did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Gun control is a complex issue for the Tucson
victims, some of whom own firearms and live in a conservative state that
expanded gun rights after the January shooting. Giffords, a moderate Democrat,
is known for her support of gun rights.

Salzgeber helped subdue Loughner. His wife,
Faith, wrapped a nine-year-old victim, Christina Taylor
Green,
in a tablecloth to keep her warm and comforted her as she lay on the ground
dying from her wounds.

"I'm a gun owner. I've had my check
done," Salzgeber told Flake. "I'm not here advocating to take
anyone's guns away. I'm here to advocate that people who shouldn't have guns
don't get guns."

Flake said he would look at the proposed
bill.

The group of 12 survivors and their family
members met with lawmakers the day after Giffords and her husband, astronaut Mark Kelly, appeared on
national television for their first extended interview since the shooting (Fox News, 2011).

The law will let Oklahoma citizens who have a permit under the Oklahoma Self Defense Act carry their
weapons openly or concealed. Previously, all personal firearms had to be tucked
away out of sight, but this new bill will let people choose depending on their
preference.

Fallin seemed almost cheerful about this momentous event, as she said, "As a strong
supporter of the Second Amendment and a gun owner myself, I'm happy to sign
this bill into law and grant law-abiding citizens the ability to openly carry
firearms."

The only downside is that people itching to openly carry their weapons will
have to wait until Nov. 1, when the law goes into effect. There are also a few
spots where all firearms are banned, such as in jails, college campuses, and
liquor stores.

Oklahoma police are a bit nervous about this new development, but they're ready
to meet the challenge head-on. Oklahoma Highway Patrol Capt. Chris West has
been studying the new law and promises to "train our troops about the law
after this process is completed." After all, what good is the right to
carry a firearm legally when law enforcement unjustly takes your weapons?(Guns.com, 2012).

Abstract:Hours after U.S. President Barack Obama was
re-elected, the United States backed a U.N. committee's call on Wednesday to
renew debate over a draft international treaty to regulate the $70 billion
global conventional arms trade.

U.N. delegates and
gun control activists have complained that talks collapsed in July largely
because Obama feared attacks from Republican rival Mitt Romney if his administration was seen as supporting the pact, a charge
Washington denies.

The month-long talks
at U.N. headquarters broke off after the United States - along with Russia and other major arms producers - said it had problems with the draft
treaty and asked for more time.

But the U.N. General
Assembly's disarmament committee moved quickly after Obama's win to approve a
resolution calling for a new round of talks March 18-28. It passed with 157
votes in favor, none against and 18 abstentions.

U.N. diplomats said
the vote had been expected before Tuesday's U.S. presidential election but was
delayed due to Superstorm Sandy, which caused a three-day closure of the United
Nations last week.

An official at the
U.S. mission said Washington's objectives have not changed.

"We seek a
treaty that contributes to international security by fighting illicit arms
trafficking and proliferation, protects the sovereign right of states to
conduct legitimate arms trade, and meets the concerns that we have been
articulating throughout," the official said.

"We will not
accept any treaty that infringes on the constitutional rights of our citizens
to bear arms," he said.

U.S. officials have
acknowledged privately that the treaty under discussion would have no effect on
domestic gun sales and ownership because it would apply only to exports.

The main reason the
arms trade talks are taking place at all is that the United States - the
world's biggest arms trader accounting for more than 40 percent of global
conventional arms transfers - reversed U.S. policy on the issue after Obama was
first elected and decided in 2009 to support a treaty.

Among the top six
arms-exporting nations, Russia cast the only abstention. Britain, France and Germany joined China and the United States in support of the resolution.

The measure now goes
to the 193-nation General Assembly for a formal vote. It is expected to pass.

The resolution said
countries are "determined to build on the progress made to date towards
the adoption of a strong, balanced and effective Arms Trade Treaty."

Jeff Abramson,
director of Control Arms, a coalition of advocacy groups, urged states to agree
on stringent provisions.

"In Syria, we have seen the death toll rise well over 30,000, with weapons and
ammunition pouring in the country for months now," he said. "We need
a treaty that will set tough rules to control the arms trade, that will save
lives and truly make the world a better place."

Brian Wood of Amnesty
International said: "After today's resounding vote, if the larger arms
trading countries show real political will in the negotiations, we're only
months away from securing a new global deal that has the potential to stop
weapons reaching those who seriously abuse human rights."

The treaty would
require states to make respecting human rights a criterion for allowing arms
exports.

Britain's U.N.
mission said on its Twitter feed it hoped that the March negotiations would
yield the final text of a treaty. Such a pact would then need to be ratified by
the individual signatories before it could enter into force.

The National Rifle
Association, the powerful U.S. interest group, strongly opposes the arms treaty
and had endorsed Romney.

The United States has
denied it sought to delay negotiations for political reasons, saying it had
genuine problems with the draft as written (Reuters, 2012).